NORWICH – Metamorphosis Acupuncture, a newly opened acupuncture practice in Norwich, held a grand opening and open house event last week, giving locals an up-close look at an alternative treatment to western medicine.

Acupuncturist Fanny Sacks, D.C., L.Ac., opened the doors of her practice in October; and despite having few options in the way of alternative medicine, she said people in the Norwich area are showing an interest.

“People are starting to find me. They’re interested in alternative medicines, and they’re interested in things that western medicine has no good answers to,” she said.

Acupuncture is a 3,000-year-old practice which involves pressing hair-thin needles into select pressure points on the skin and is often used to treat common pains, including body aches, migraines, arthritis, and irritable bowel syndrome.

“It’s really a method for balancing the body – finding what’s out of balance and working to correct that unbalance,” Sacks said.

Needles are pressed into 12 regular meridians on the body and remain there for up to 20 minutes. Unlike hypodermic needles which are hollow and tear through skin cells, Sacks explained that stainless steel acupuncture needles are flexible, solid and thin enough to separate skin cells, thereby making the practice more soothing than painful.